


The Prince and His Knight (On Vacation)

by rosegardenlake



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, I just wanted Shiro to be a happy boy and have a nice little vacation for once in his life, Keith is one of three triplets, M/M, Pining, Prince!Shiro, alcohol use, and get kissies, knight!keith, shiro's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 07:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14869257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegardenlake/pseuds/rosegardenlake
Summary: When Shiro, Prince of Altea and hard worker extraordinaire, finds his most loyal knight getting ready for a vacation to his hometown, Shiro convinces Keith to let him go.  Shiro might or might not have a huge crush on him, but it's fine.  It's all fine.  He can keep it a secret, he has for almost ten years now, what's a weekend?  At least, that's what he thinks, until Shiro steps through Keith's front door and discovers his best-kept secret: Keith is one of three triplets, and they are both just as beautiful as he is.Maybe more...





	The Prince and His Knight (On Vacation)

**Author's Note:**

> For Clari. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

With a huge sigh, Shiro steps out from the gates and toward the royal stables, using his hand to shade the sun from his eyes.

Keith runs out here to hide sometimes when he’s upset.  Shiro can find him cuddled up next to Red, running his hands through her fiery mane as she neighs and plays with his hair.  Keith always has that little pout on his brow, cheeks flushed with red, prickly and sharp with anger.

Shiro likes knowing Keith’s hiding places.  He likes being able to gauge his moods and follow him from there.

Keith was smiling last he saw him though, so he thinks it’s probably not that.  But he’s scoured the entire castle already and the the stables are the one place he hasn’t checked yet.  Keith’s never late for their training sessions, so what’s going on?

As he rounds the corner, Shiro allows himself to slow because - ah.  There he is. Keith himself. There is no one more loyal, more hardworking, more trustworthy than Shiro’s own handpicked knight.  Shiro thanks his lucky stars for him everyday.

He _is_ in front of the stables, strapped up in his casual wear, top of his shirt unlaced and hanging over his collarbone, his neck exposed.  He’s beautiful in the sun like this. It’s warm and it shows. His sweat glistens over his brow, down the delicate curve of the nook of his neck.  He rolls his shoulders and groans softly and then reaches into the cart in front of him.

Hay bales.  Shiro can see the way the muscles of Keith’s arm bulge as he lifts him.  Shiro enjoys the sight and then stops to chuckle fondly as Keith gets a piece of hay in his mouth and spits it out unceremoniously.  Keith unguarded. It really _is_ Shiro’s lucky day.

Shiro has half of a mind to just stay to the shadows and watch, but then he notices Keith looks like he’s preparing to leave, and Shiro realizes he doesn’t know why.

He creeps up behind Keith, who’s busy sighing and wiping away the sweat from his brow.  He gets just close enough that he can whisper into Keith’s ear, “hey”.

Keith jolts, dropping the hay bale with a loud _whump_.  He jumps back to narrowly avoid missing crushing his toes and Shiro catches him before he falls.

Keith rights himself with an indignant tug.  Shiro can see the fire building behind his eyes as he readies some sort of angry retort, but then he catches sight of something behind Shiro and he composes himself, bowing instead, his small elegant hands going carefully over his heart.  “Your Highness,” he says in practiced coolness.

Shiro just chuckles, face beaming.  “The royal treatment today, huh?  Wow.  Honestly, it sounds weird coming from you.  I can’t even remember the last time you said that.”

Keith’s eyebrow raises a tad and he mutters from the corner of his mouth, “shh...  Your dad is right there.”

Shiro turns and squints as he looks behind himself, and then he laughs again.  “Ah. Okay, my royal knight.  What gives?  You were supposed to meet me this morning after astronomy classes.  I was looking forward to it the entire time.  I waited for you.”

Keith rubs his nose and goes back to moving hay.  “Coran didn’t tell you?  Figures.  He said he would.”

“He said something, but honestly, I was busy looking for you so I wasn’t paying attention.  Are you going somewhere?”

“Just for a few days.  My brother's back in town for the first time in ages so I'll be visiting for a weekend.  Sorry, Shiro.  It’s going to be awful.  I wish I could stay.  I’ve picked the best replacement knight I could to watch you...though I see they’re doing a great job of it so far.”

“Is _that_ who was following me?  I lost them ages ago.” And then Shiro’s eyes light up as he realizes what Keith said.  “Your family!  I want to come.” He always has, ever since Keith started training here to be a knight, just a boy then, but just as fierce.

Keith grins crookedly.  “I think you have more important matters to attend to, _Your Highness_.”

“I’ll have Matt do them.”

“You’ll have me do _what_?”  A new grudging voice comes in from behind them.

Shiro chokes and whirls around.  “Hey!”

Matt just frowns, crossing his arms and shaking his head.  He’s onto him. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be training.  You need to stick with the schedule.”

Matt arches an unamused eyebrow at Keith, who just shrugs.  “I didn’t do it.”

Shiro nods.  “Right. Change of plans.  I’m going with Keith.”

Matt rolls his eyes tiredly.  “ _Why_ do I ever bother writing schedules for you...?  You think you’re going to Fisherman’s Bay? Think again.”

“ _The bay?”_ Shiro’s eyes light up like stars.  “Keith! I thought you told me you lived off in the middle of nowhere?”

“That _is_ in the middle of nowhere,” Keith sneezes.

Shiro frowns.  “Wait a minute...  You’re not taking that hay cart out to Fisherman’s Bay, are you?”

“It’s for the best,” Keith says.  “My brother is... He can be something else.  I don’t want him in the carriages if we have to go anywhere.”

“ _Keith_.  Please.  Your family is our family.  Don't take a _cart.”_

“Uuh...”

“And besides, it looks like you have a hay allergy.  Look at your arms.”

Matt even cringes.  Keith’s arms are covered in red hives.

He frowns and pulls his sleeves down.  “I’m fine. Besides, I’m getting rid of the hay.”

Keith sneezes - it's explosive - and groans, rubbing at his nose.

Shiro bodily grabs Keith beneath the armpits and moves him away.  “That settles it. You can’t take care of yourself like this; I have to watch over you.  I’m coming with you. Matt, prepare a carriage.”

“Are you _serious_?”  Matt grumbles.  “What about your duties?”

“Not to worry; my father had some business he wanted to get taken care of at Fisherman’s Bay anyway.  When Keith’s settled and safe, I’ll go take care of it.”

“Yeah, _right_ ,” Matt mutters.

Keith is smiling quietly to himself as walks back to the cart and shifts the last of the hay from it.  “ _I’m_ supposed to be protecting _you_.”

“And you will be.  We’ll stick together.  Can I come, Keith? Please?”

Matt groans, turns, and leaves to go sit on a bench in the shade.

“You know you don’t have to ask,” Keith hums.  “Literally. You can order me to do anything. That's the power of a prince.”

Shiro laughs.  “But would you listen?"  And then Shiro claps his hands together, grinning brightly.  "Great!  I’m excited.  I’m going to go pack.  And let’s get an actual carriage. This thing is ridiculous.”

Keith looks back at the hay bales and groans.

 

“This is going to be so much fun,” Shiro is positively beaming as he leans forward to look out the window.  The coast is there, spread out wide and blue. It’s taken almost an entire day to get here and their backs and butts are sore from the ride, but it’s worth it.  The breeze is fresh and revitalizing in a way only the ocean can bring. Shiro notices how Keith softens the thicker the air is with salt.  “I’ve wanted to meet your family for ages.”

“They’re horrible,” Keith says as he leans his head out the window and calls up to the front of the carriage.  “Matt, do you need to switch?”

“I’m good, I’m good.  I’m still mad at Shiro.  I don’t think I could handle being in a carriage with him.”

“Aw, come on, Matt,” Shiro leans over Keith so he can push his head out of the window beside him.  He places his hand on Keith’s back for balance. “I’m _sorry_.”

“I’m still not talking with you.  I know you’re not really sorry.”

“I’m not,” Shiro whispers to Keith, looking down at him.

Keith rolls his eyes and grins as they slip back into the carriage.

“I’m nervous to meet your family, honestly.  What are they like?”

“Horrible.  I just said.  And you?  Nervous to meet my family?  You’re _a prince_.  Imagine how they’re going to feel when they realize it’s you.”

“Come on, Keith.  I’m dying here.”

Keith sighs.  “I have two brothers.  Akira’s an herbalist.  He trains under some witch in the forest or something, I don’t know.  You’ll get along with him.  And then there’s Chief. He’s...” Keith purses his lips and wrinkles his nose.  “I dunno.  And my mom’s name is Krolia.”

Shiro hums along happily and waits for Keith to continue.  When Keith doesn’t continue, he complains, “That’s all you’re going to say?”

“That’s all I’m going to say.  Besides,” he hums, leaning out the window again, his hair tossling in the wind as he lifts a hand and splays his fingers.  He closes his eyes and basks in the sunlight, his grin brighter than Shiro’s ever seen. “We’re here.”

It’s a cute little fisherman’s town, lining the shore of a bay bathed in sun.  It’s kind of messy - docks and thickly bound nets and spears stuck with fish all strewn about, but it’s messy in a charming sort of way.

It’s warm, but nothing like back at the castle, and it’s breezy, full of the thick scent of aquatic lifeforms.  It’s not necessarily a good smell, kind of heady - it’s definitely not Shiro’s favorite, but the way Keith’s eyes are lighting up despite himself, the way his shoulders are loosening and he looks like he’s _home_ \- that makes the pungent smell completely worth it.

There is only one stable in this town (which is kind of funny because at the castle itself, there are three) and Matt drives the carriage there.  They’re attracting attention, the way their carriages laced in gold lining do. Shiro’s ready to stand and wave, but Keith tugs the curtains over the windows sharply, reaches over toward Shiro and grabs ahold of his hood.  With one quick tug, Keith pulls it over Shiro’s head, hiding his face. He presses even closer to fiddle with Shiro’s hair, hiding his circlet cleanly out of view.

Shiro tries to think of other things, not how close Keith is, or how, if Shiro were to look up, he could see the little opening in Keith’s shirt where it hangs from his shoulders.  The way his collar bone dips in. The curve of his frame. Shiro tries to think of anything else because he knows his face must be flaming red right now.  But god, Keith’s hand through his hair feels...  It feels so good.

“Not until we have to,” Keith murmurs, brushing his fingers through Shiro’s hair one more time to make double sure everything’s out of view.  Shiro closes his eyes and prays for restraint.  “It's a fisherman's port, not the castle.  There are odd sorts who come through here and it’s best if they don’t know who you are...my family included. Especially if we’re going to stay at my house.”

“I _want_ to stay at your house,” Shiro says in response to the way Keith’s face sours at the words.

“I know,” Keith sighs.  “I just wish it were more stable, like the lighthouse or something.  You did tell your father, right? This is the first time we've never been out by ourselves.  I don’t want anything to happen to you...”

Shiro smiles encouragingly.  “Stop worrying so much,” he says earnestly.  “I’ll be careful.”

“I know.”

“Thanks for taking me, Keith.  Really. I wouldn’t want a weekend without you, that’d just be weird.”

“You didn’t even last an hour before you came sniffing me out,” Keith laughs as he finally looks back to the curtain and pulls it back.  They’re ready to go.

The eyes that follow them are curious, but no one seems to recognize Shiro.  He can see Keith breathe out a sigh of relief, shoulders loosening.  But the villagers recognize Keith, and they gather around him eagerly.  “How is it at the castle, Keith?  Do they have good food there?  Do you have a ton of girlfriends?”  They breathe, stars in their eyes.

“Yes to the food, no to the girlfriends,” he laughs, keeping himself close to Shiro despite the way the villagers try to gather around them in mass.

“I hear you got assigned to guard the prince?  What’s he like?  Is he as golden as they say? As kind?  As good?”

“Yes.  All of that and more,” Keith says without missing a beat.  He looks over to Shiro and they smile at each other. “It’s a kingdom worth defending.”

 

"These are my friends," he says, gesturing toward Shiro and Matt.  "We work together."

Shiro beams with pride.  Matt even smiles.

All the houses are lined along the shoreline, similar in size and make.  Shiro knows which house is Keith’s when he sees a door burst open and a woman almost as beautiful as Keith standing there, eyes honing in on him.  He didn’t think it’d be possible for anyone’s beauty to rival Keith’s, but there she is.

“You came,” she breathes.  She’s still for a moment as Keith slows on the planks outside their house.  And then she runs, tossing her arms around him and bringing him close. “Look at you,” she says, chuckling wetly.  She leans back to look at his face, brushing his hair back. “...Look at you.”

A mother’s love.  There’s no doubt about it.  Shiro smiles gently at it. How long has it been since Keith last got to see her?  It must be good to be back home.

“Hey,” Keith murmurs softly, hugging her back.  For his family being “horrible” like Keith had said earlier, his smile is sweet, almost shy beneath her gaze.  “It’s been awhile, Mom.”

“Yes.  Yes, it has,” she breathes softly.  She scoops him beneath her arm and brings him along with her into the house.  She looks over her shoulder behind them at Shiro and Matt. “Your friends?”

“Yeah.  Can they stay with us?”

“Of course.  You’re all welcome any time.”  She ushers them in, arm open wide.

Their house is modest.  There’s one main room, one bathroom, and two small bedrooms.  The kitchen is shoved in the corner where pots and pans and dried herbs are all hanging bundled from the ceiling.  Shiro has to duck to the side to avoid it. It smells fresh inside, like lavender and rosemary mixed with a few spices.  And fish.  There’s that fish.  Shiro thinks there must be a bucket of it somewhere nearby, but he’s thought that since the coast started coming into view from their carriage, so maybe not.

There are two people in the living room that Keith walks over to.  One is laying on the couch in bandages, and another hovers over him, hands full of gauze.

“Keith,” the one standing smiles at him.  He pulls himself to full height and opens his arms.  “Hey! We’re all home!”

“Hey, Akira,” Keith hums, returning the hug.  When he pulls back, he looks down at the one on the couch.  “ _Chief_ ,” he says with a twist of his eyebrows.  “Is that what they’re still calling you these days?”

He smiles wryly up at Keith.  “It’s my name, isn’t it?”

Keith sighs.  “I heard you got into a bit of trouble?”

“Don’t worry, I don’t need your help, Mr. Hero.”

Keith rolls his eyes, taking his bag off his shoulder to place it by the couch.

“Keith,” Krolia says.  “You and your friends can take the front room.  Akira and Chief can share with me, alright?”

“You sure?”  Keith asks, looking toward his brothers.

Everyone nods and shrugs.  Chief says, “if you make dinner.”

“Did you catch dinner?”

“Yeah.  A ton of them.  Out back.”

“Deal.”  He nods Shiro and Matt into the front room, but then Krolia stops him again.  Shiro can see his mouth twitch in irritation. There he is.

“You forgot your manners.  Who are your friends?”

“O-oh.  Yeah, I work with them.  This is Matt.” Matt bows shortly.  “And uh...” Keith bites his lip as he looks to Shiro for help.  Shiro just grins and shrugs. “Sven?”

Krolia’s looking between them with an arched eyebrow.  “You sound unsure.”

“Sven,” Shiro grins, holding his hand out.  “Your son’s been an absolute pleasure to work with.  It’s lovely meeting the family he grew up with. I see where Keith gets his good looks.”

Keith chokes, but Shiro doesn't apologize.  It's not like anyone who has eyes can deny it.  Shiro removes his hood and walks over to Keith’s brothers, ready to introduce himself.  And the whole room freezes. Shiro included. His eyes are blown wide in shock. He thinks, in some distant realm of his mind, that his jaw is probably hanging wide open.

Good god.

They both look exactly like Keith.

Keith’s sharp beauty, his big doe eyes, his shiny silky hair, his petite frame.  Akira’s hair is longer, pulled into a braid and tossed over his shoulder and Chief is wearing...urgh, Shiro’s not sure _what_ he’d call that outfit.  Some sort of pirate fashion?  But Keith, beautiful Keith, the most beautiful person Shiro has ever witnessed in his entire life, spanning the countries from here to over the ocean Keith, has two brothers who look just.  Like. Him.

“Oh, my god,” Shiro breathes.  He looks between Akira and Chief and then over to Keith, who is pressing his lips together tightly, a strange look across his face Shiro can’t decipher in this moment of his brain short circuiting.  “...They look like you.”

And they are staring at Shiro in surprise, like something doesn’t add up.

“He’s _your_ friend?”  Chief says to Keith.  “Someone who looks like _that_?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Keith tosses him a weathered look and then gives Shiro a tired smile.  “Sorry. I guess I should’ve told you... I just... I dunno. We’re triplets.”

Shiro chokes and Matt pats his back encouragingly.  When Shiro looks over at him, he’s got that _look_ on his face.  The _you are so doomed_ _I warned you didn’t I this is what you get_ sort of look.

He presses a hand to his face to hide his blush.  “Oh, _wow_.  I had no idea.”

“Well, I never told you.  Home doesn’t really come up often,” Keith tells his family.  “Not for lack of trying...” He mutters, looking to Shiro.

“Well, obviously it didn’t work,” Shiro chuckles.  He stands up straight. He can do this. Three beautiful Keiths all in one room, their beautiful mother tilting her head and watching his face as he burns red.  What a blessed gene pool.  He’s got this. He’s a _prince._   He’s stared down the Galran king before for _god’s sake_ , he can do _this_.  Beautiful men should be no insurmountable task.

But god, does he feel dazed.

Keith clears his throat loudly.  “Let’s go get settled then,” he says.

Keith pushes the bedroom door open and nods Matt and Shiro in.  Shiro follows a little numbly, letting Keith close the door behind them.

“There’s only one bed; I don’t know if it’s big enough for you two to share?  But I’ll take the floor.  We have chaff bedding.”

“Matt can have the bed,” Shiro says.  “I’ll take the ground too.”

Keith gives him a look that’s halfway between a frown and amusement.  “It’s straw in a bag, Shiro.”

“I want the whole experience.  And besides, I’m not _Shiro_ , I’m Sven.”

Keith still has that eyebrow raised.

“You’re the one who said it, not me.  Is this how you grew up?”

“Well, no, I had the bed,” Keith chuckles.  “But sometimes I’d use this if I didn’t feel like fighting Akira or Chief for it.”

“I can’t believe you had two identical brothers and you never told us.”

Keith shrugs.  “They’re them and I’m me.”

“ _I_ _dentical_.  We’ve known each other for _years_.”

“It was a bit of a surprise,” Matt says.

“It was the thing we hated the most.  We look the same, but we’re all different people.  It’s no different than you and Pidge, for instance.  Separate people.”

“Kinda different,” Matt shrugs.

Keith sighs and flops down on his straw bed.  Shiro carefully sits down on his, intrigue on his face.  “This is softer than I expected,” Shiro says in surprise.  “I like it.”

“It’s not bad, huh?  God, it’s been awhile.  I’ve gotten used to living at the castle.  But here we are. Your royal highness - living like a commoner,” Keith murmurs as he crosses his arms behind his head and grins.  “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“I’ve never been opposed to it.”

“How can you say that?  Your bed is like the size of the entire living room here,” Matt snorts.

Keith laughs.  “And you have sheets made of _silk_.”

“My father got me those.”

“King Alfor spoils you.”

Shiro lives a good life.  There are some things he just can’t deny.  But he likes it here, in the home Keith grew up in.  He can almost envision Keith here, young and sweet. Eyes wide with ideas, with hopes, with dreams.  Shiro contents himself with the thought that Keith achieved them. He's a knight now. _His_ knight.  Shiro leans back and grins at Keith, who grins right back.

 

Traveling took it out of them and they rest for a bit.  It’s surprisingly easy even though Shiro usually has a hard time sleeping in unfamiliar places.  Shiro supposes it’s because he’s taken a bit of home along with him having Keith by his side.

When he wakes from his nap, Keith’s gone from his bed and Matt’s sitting up, frowning into his notebook, scribbling furiously.

“This is going to set us back so badly,” Matt worries, biting at his nails.

“Where’s Keith?”

Matt heaves a sigh and points out the door.  “You and your one-track mind...  Waiting for you, probably.”

Shiro wanders out, but it’s just Krolia and Akira on the couch.  He can see Keith is outside in their backyard, cleaning the fish and grumbling about it as Chief leans on the table beside him, barking out a laugh.

“What are you _doing_?”  Chief guffaws loudly.  “Did you forget everything serving your beloved prince?”

Krolia pulls Shiro’s attention way, smiling up at him warmly.  “Sven.  You’re up.  If there’s anything you need, please let us know.  Keith’s thriving because of where he is and the friends he’s made. I’m forever grateful for that.”

“Oh, not at all.  Keith’s the one helping _us_ thrive.  Truly, we’re in his debt.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.  He was always such a shy boy.  I’m glad to see he’s opened up.”

“Mmhmm,” Shiro hums, already distracted by the sight of Keith outside.  He’s laughing, but in a way he’s never seen before.  He has raw fish guts all over his hand and is trying to shove it on Chief’s face.

It’s...disgusting.  It’s open. It’s unlocked and limitless.

Akira asks, tilting his head.  “Are you guys...together?”

“Oh, me?”  He thinks about what Akira’s asking.  “Oh, _me and Keith_?  No!  No...uh, not us.  He’s busy, I’m sure.  Babysitting the prince and all that.”

“...Really...?  You wear a circlet yourself.”

“Oh, this?  No, it doesn’t mean anything.  It’s just decoration really.”

Akira frowns a bit.

“Sven!”  Keith pokes his head around the door.  “I thought I heard your voice.  Hey. Everything good?”

“Yeah, do you need help?”

“Actually, Akira, could you get some rosemary for me?”

“I don’t have any.  There’s only some out in the forest.”

Keith claps his fish gut hands together.  “ _Please_?”

Akira sighs, standing to his feet and turning his violet eyes on Shiro.  “Will you come with me?”

If Shiro hadn’t been entranced by Akira’s purple eyes - god, they look so much like Keith’s - he would’ve noticed the little jealous pinch in between Keith’s brow.  But, of course, he was looking away.

“I’ll come,” Shiro says.

Keith tsks, shaking the guts off of his hands as he casts his eyes about for something to wipe them on.  His eyes fall on Chief’s robe.  “I’ll go too.”

“No, no,” Shiro says.  “I can do this one thing, no worries.  I’ll bring Matt.”

Keith frowns, eyes boring into Shiro.  “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Shiro says.

They’re in a stalemate until Shiro raises his eyebrows and puts his hands on his hips.  And then Keith breaks off with a bitter sigh.  “Fine, suit yourself.  I’ll be here.  Elbow-deep in fish brains.”

“That doesn’t look like a brain on your wrist there.  Looks more like an eyeball.”

“God, I forgot how to do this...  So much easier when you have chefs preparing everything...  Stay _safe_ , got it?  I don’t want to have to go running after you if you get into some sort of mortal fight.  Which I _will_ , you know.  I won’t even wipe off the fish guts.  I’ll rub it all over you if I have to.”

“I got it, I got it, no need to be so vulgar.  But I’ll be fine. I’ve won a few matches against you - remember that.”

“Or did I let you?”

Shiro blinks.  “Are you serious?”

Keith chuckles and shrugs, already walking back outside.

“Keith!  Are you serious?!”

Shiro can hear Keith laughing outside.

Akira’s been smiling quietly between the two of them, a secret twinkle in his eye.  Shiro almost asks about it, but Akira doesn’t mention it. Instead, he holds out his hand toward the front room.  “Shall we get your friend?”

“I’m _busy_ ,” Matt calls from the room.  “All this stuff we won’t get done...  Oh, god, how will we complete it all in time when we get home?”

“Loosen up,” Shiro hums as he leans on the doorframe  “It’ll be fine. It’s on me, remember?”

Matt just groans.  “Just let me stew in silence.  Go enjoy yourself.”

“You okay?”

Matt raises an eyebrow and says, “go.  Enjoy your Keiths.” He can’t resist a coy, “...You must be in heaven.”

“ _Matt,_ ” Shiro grumbles lowly, blushing madly and praying no one heard him.

He turns to Akira, who has a small smile on his lips.  Shiro prays he hadn’t heard.  “Ready?”  Shiro asks.

“Mhmm.”

 

Akira wears long flowing pants with an apron over the top.  There are already some herbs in it that he plucks from the pockets and fiddles with as they walk.

The forest is different here than it is back at home.  Maybe it’s just the fish smell that seems to follow them everywhere.  He suspects that his senses will get used to it after awhile, but right now, he just suffers.

“Keith seems happy,” Akira says, as he walks through patches of light.  “It really is a big change. He never liked it here. Reminded him too much of our father.”

“He does seem happy.  ...Though sometimes it’s hard to tell.  He doesn’t talk much about himself, even when I ask.  Maybe _especially_ when I ask.”

“Don’t let it get to you.  He’s close to you; I can see that.  He’s never really been comfortable with our heritage.”

“Heritage?”

Akira looks back, sunlight wrapping him in color.  His eyelashes are just as long as Keith’s, maybe even longer.  And with his hair so long and cared for, there is something uniquely exotic about the way Akira looks.  Shiro wonders if Keith were to grow his hair out long and braid it if he’d seem this way, or if he’d still be his Keith, Shiro’s Keith.

“Oh,” Akira says softly as he catches the baffled look on his face.  “...It’s nothing. Forget what I said. Come look.”

He gently places his fingers beneath a flower to lift it up into the sunlight.  They’re in a nice patch of it, secluded, away from intruders or people who might stomp over it.  The sun is shining in, but it’s not too harsh. A surprisingly perfect spot.

“Keith used to help me plant these when we were younger.  We’d spend all day out here, taking care of the dirt. Sowing the seeds.  Everything died under his watch though,” Akira chuckles. “But we learned a lot together.”

“I recognize this,” Shiro says, leaning forward on his hands and knees to get closer to a tall bush.  “He used this on one of my wounds before when I got burnt. It helped tremendously; I almost thought he was a wizard.”

Akira smiles warmly, face going so soft.  “So he hasn’t forgotten. I guess he does still keep a part of us with him...”

“You miss him?”  Shiro looks up.

“Of course.  Wouldn’t you?  He only visits every few years and he’s always antsy to get back.  Sometimes, I’m surprised he does that much.”

Shiro’s quiet for awhile, an apology on his lips.  But he can’t apologize because he’s pretending not to be Shiro right now.  “...I’ll talk to him. Maybe we can make more trips together. He still cares about you.  Keith’s not the kind to just give up on people.”

“Hm,” Akira says, looking back to Shiro and tilting his head.  “Maybe. Or maybe he just likes to follow you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.  Do you see how his face lights up around you?  Is it so hard to believe?”

“I...I don’t know.  I’ve never noticed.”

“I’m telling you,” Akira says, clipping some rosemary and stuffing it in his apron.  “Watch his face. Everything you want to know about Keith rests right in that little divot between his eyes and the wrinkle in his nose.  It’s not the mouth - he’s got control of that. It’s right in here.” Akira grins crookedly, drawing a circle around his face with his finger.

Shiro thinks about it.  There is a lot of emotion stored there on Keith’s face now that it’s been brought to his attention.  “Okay.”

When they get back, Keith’s sitting next to the clay oven in the backyard, talking with his mom and Chief.  He’s telling one of their stories together, him and Shiro, the time they snuck out of the castle in the middle of the night to go save a wounded wolf.  Not one of their brightest ideas, but Shiro had been so distraught when he had first seen it that Keith couldn’t say no. And everything had turned out alright.  Why wouldn’t it? They were together, after all.

He stops mid-sentence, right at the best part of the story, when he catches sight of Shiro, his face brightening.  Keith’s attention swings 100% over to him. “You’re back,” he grins. “How’d it go?”

“Great.  It’s beautiful out there.”

“It really is.”

Shiro notices Chief staring at Akira, raising an eyebrow as some form of silent communication.

Without any other warning, Akira, still standing at Shiro’s side, leans up on the tips of his toes.  He double checks, and when he’s sure Keith is watching, he presses a kiss right to Shiro’s cheek, hand curling around Shiro’s forearm for balance.

It’s warm.  Shiro can feel the fluttering of Akira’s eyelashes against his cheek.  He smells floral, the soft delicate scent of all the flowers he cares and tends to.

“Watch him,” he whispers in Shiro’s ear before falling back on his heels and saying for all to hear, “Thanks, Sven.  I had a lot of fun. We should do that again sometime.”

Shiro is standing stock still.  He’s been kissed, sure, he’s a _prince._   But how many times has he dreamt of it being _Keith_ reaching up to him, like a sunflower reaching up to the sky, rolling forward on the tips of his toes to press a kiss so soft, so tender, against Shiro’s waiting cheek?  So many times. He’s wanted to feel it for so long.

Akira looks like Keith.  He’s _not_ Keith, but he _looks_ like him and it feels almost like Shiro’s dreams.

He remembers, at the last second, what Akira had told him to do and he tilts his head up, peering at Keith.

Akira was wrong.  Because Keith’s mouth isn’t under his control, not really - his lips are parted in soft shock.  His nose isn’t wrinkled. There’s no divot. Just horror. And his eyes... His eyes are tight with...pain...?  Hurt...?  Shiro frowns.  But...why?

Before Shiro can think on it further, it’s all gone.  Keith’s face just goes blank. He fought for that blankness.  Shiro arches an eyebrow at him in question, but Keith adverts his eyes quickly.

Keith clears his throat.  “I take it you got the rosemary?”

Akira hums.  “We did. I showed Sven around our garden a bit.”

“It’s not _our_ garden,” Keith says, taking the rosemary from him and going back to work.  The action seems rough in comparison to Akira, who moves with such soft grace.  The mood in the air instantly crackles with dangerous livid energy.

Akira turns back to Shiro and gives a little smile before walking back into the house.

 

Keith goes back to being okay that night.  They make a little fire in the backyard and all sit around it.  Keith finds his spot right at Shiro’s side and Shiro bumps his shoulder against Keith’s.  It seems to be the right move because Keith loosens after that. The bottle of alcohol probably helps too.

They exchange stories.  Keith has a ton of them, all about him and Shiro.  They have so many adventures together. He tells one about the random dog coated in mud that had somehow found its way into the castle and they had to chase it through the halls, over the plush red carpets and through the royal chamber.  Shiro almost caught it - arms going around the dog - but the mud had made it slippery and it escaped and Shiro fell, leaving his muddied disgraceful imprint of himself sprawled out over his father’s throne.

His father hadn’t been happy that day, but Keith had laughed so hard that night that he had _cried_ , and that made even the punishment from his father worth it.  Now, Shiro smiles when he thinks about it. He can still see Keith buckled over, in stitches, laughing up a storm, trying to sputter out the story to Matt who wanted to know _what the hell happened_?

“I remember that,” Shiro chuckles, running his finger over his lip fondly.  “That was the first time I ever saw you laugh so hard.”

Everyone looks up and blinks at him.

“Ah...I’m a guard too.  I was on duty.”

“Ooh,” they hum and nod.

Akira tells of the time he was kidnapped by the Galran empire and made to be their princess for a few days.  He was out picking flowers in their usual spot when he was mistaken for a girl and swiftly scooped away. Keith had to come save him.

“They were only trying to protect me from the _evil Alteans_ ,” Akira laughs as Keith rolls his eyes, taking another drink.  “And Keith comes in like a bat out of hell, swords shining in the light.  I’ll never forget it. He literally dragged them through the mud.”

“I almost didn’t recognize you at first.  You were in a dress.”

“It was actually very comfortable.  I liked how it flowed. I was almost sad to leave.  I felt like I belonged there.”

Chief snorts.  “We can ship you back.”

Chief is a pirate.  He has all of Keith’s fire, but maybe only half of his caution, and he tells of all the times he’s swung from ropes hanging off the mast and into the neighboring pirate’s ship.  He tells of the canons and how their explosions are so loud, it once broke his friend’s eardrums and made him bleed from just the sound alone.

He tells of the sea, of traveling the world, of the golden waves as sun sets, of the pure deep blue during the day’s brightest clearest moments.  He tells of the sea beasts he’s seen, of the way the whales will swim alongside of them, like they are both one part of the sea.  Two parts of a whole.

Even Shiro is swayed, eyes glazed over as he thinks.

“You want to come on an adventure with me sometime, don’t you?”  Chief says, leaning forward toward Shiro. He uses his hands as he speaks, excited and grinning.  “It’s amazing out there. Unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

And Shiro would love to, if he didn’t have so much else to do.  But Keith.  Keith could.  Keith would love it too.  Shiro looks over, trying to gauge the expression on his face.  Is Shiro holding him back?

Keith just takes another swig from the bottle in his hand and leans back contentedly on the log behind him.  He notices Shiro watching him and stretches his head back even more to smile up at him.

God, Shiro’s so gone.  He stares down, caught like a bug in a spiderweb, trapped in that smile.  He’s frozen in time, forever content here, until he hears someone clear their throat beside him.  It’s Chief, eyebrow raised and crooked grin on his face.

God.  They all do the crooked grin thing.  It’s overwhelming.

Krolia says, “So, Sven, we haven’t heard much about Keith’s friends.  You haven’t told us much about yourself.”

“And Matt’s hidden away,” Keith laughs loosely.

“There’s not much to tell,” Shiro shrugs.  “I lived in the castle most of my life, and that’s a blessing of course.  And then I found Keith and that was an even bigger blessing. And now I really couldn’t ask for anything more.  Everyday’s fun and warm because he’s around.”

There’s surprise on all of their faces around their campfire that swiftly softens to warmth.  “That’s so great to hear,” Krolia says softly.

Keith heaves a sigh and closes his eyes.  He tries to push himself up to scoot closer to Shiro so he can press his face into his side.  He mumbles something into Shiro’s hip when he gets there, plopping himself down in one single motion, words garbled and loose.

Shiro blinks.  A cuddly drunk.  Keith never gets drunk.  Never.  In fact, when the other knights gather around their tables to celebrate their victories, it’s Keith and only Keith standing at the back, waiting for Shiro to finish his rounds.  This is something new.  His arms are flaccid and loose. There’s a delicate blush that Shiro can see from here, peeking over the cloth of Shiro’s shirt pressed to Keith’s face.

“What was that?”  Shiro asks, trying to grab Keith’s attention back to him.

Keith turns his head into open air.  “You’re such a flatterer,” he mumbles at Shiro.  “Always saying things like that.”

“I mean them, Keith.”

“I mean them too.”

Shiro leans his chin on his fist.  “Oh yeah?  You mean what?”

“Mmm.  That you’re fun.  And warm.  Whenever you’re around.”

Shiro chuckles lowly under his breath and pats Keith’s shoulder.  “Okay. Time for bed for you, I think.”

Keith buries his face back into the comfort of Shiro’s side and clings to him.  “No, no, no. I’m _fine_.”

“Remember when you said you were fine after those Galra snuck through the window in the East wing and almost got to me?  Remember what you did?”

“Mmhmm.”

“They were almost triple your size and I said, ‘Keith, don’t do it!’ and you tried to _tackle_ them headfirst.”

“It _worked_ , didn’t it?”

“You said you were fine.  I believed you. I found out later you had dislocated your shoulder.  You stood guard all night with it. I’m still mad at you for doing that.”

“Bah.  That’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Shiro says gently as he leans in.  “Let me take care of you sometimes.”  He grabs Keith beneath the armpits and drags him to his feet.  He can’t even stand on his own; Shiro supports all his weight. “I’ll get him to bed.  It was lovely speaking with everyone.  Thank you for such a wonderful evening.”

“You’re coming too, aren’t you?”  Keith mumbles, hanging his head onto Shiro’s shoulder and tugging on his sleeve.

Krolia’s smiling fondly at the two of them.  She and Keith’s brothers all exchange looks with each other.  “Goodnight, Sven. Goodnight, Keith.”

“I can walk,” Keith grumbles as Shiro drags him through the house and plops him down on his makeshift bed.  Matt’s eyes flash up from his work for half a second, he laughs, and then turns his eyes back down, still biting at his nails.

Keith sprawls out onto his bed in a comfy mess, a small smile on his face.  He looks cozy beyond words, stretched over the bedding like a seductress, not a drunken boy.  Shiro chuckles a little as he scoots back beside Keith’s feet and begins to undo the laces on his boots.

“Don’t,” Keith grumbles, trying to gently kick him away.

Shiro holds his leg steady between two hands.  “Let me.”

Keith sighs and gives up, like he always does whenever Shiro asks.  As he watches Shiro, his face grows somber. “You’re staying after this?  You won’t go back without me? Sleep with me.”

“ _God_ ,” Matt groans from the bed.  “Do I need to leave? Tell me before you make your first move, I don’t want to be here for it.”

Shiro rolls his eyes.  “You’re both being ridiculous.  I’m staying right here. Don’t worry.”

But Keith’s still in distress.  There’s that divot in his brow, the wrinkle in his nose, and the ache in his eyes.  “You like me, don’t you, Shiro?”

Shiro arches an eyebrow and laughs under his breath.  “Of course, I do, Keith.”

“But you...  Earlier...”

Shiro waits.  Keith can’t seem to get it out.  He huffs a small little puff of air and goes back to looking discontent.

Shiro ignores the look he can feel Matt giving them from the bed.

Shiro pulls his other shoe off and sets it by the door.  He leans down to fluff Keith’s hair before laying out beside him.  “Keith, go to sleep. You’re drunk.” He laughs. He never thought he’d be able to say that to Keith.  “You never get drunk. I can’t believe it.”

“Mmrmm.”

“Goodnight, Keith.”

Keith hums, settling in.

Akira was beautiful today in a serene sort of way.  Always smiling, always gentle. His hair was brushed and cared for.  He was careful with himself. And god, those eyelashes.

Keith’s never careful with himself.  Shiro thinks his method of brushing his hair probably consists of running one hand through it as he’s running out the door.  His hands are rough with calluses from his job. His smiles are saved only for special occasions.

Shiro’s heart swells as he looks down at Keith.  He’s a total mess. A big, beautiful mess. He’s just right for Shiro.  The perfect fit.

Keith goes to sleep wearing a pout on his lips and a frown on his brow.  Shiro reaches over and gently rubs it out.

Keith’s face is so soft, like velvet.  Shiro wishes, he wishes so badly that it had been Keith earlier on the tips of his toes, kissing his cheek.  The calluses of Keith’s hands on his arm as he tries to reach up for Shiro’s face.

His lips would probably be chapped.  When does he ever think to care for that sort of thing?  On Shiro, maybe. But himself?  Shiro chuckles at that.

“ _What_ did I tell you about the first move?”  Matt groans.

“I-I- I’m not.”  Shiro blinks, realizing he still has his fingers resting on Keith’s face.  Embarrassed, he rolls onto his own bedding. “He looked upset. Nightmares.”

“Nightmares,” Matt mutters, rolling his eyes.  “If that’s the face he makes when he’s having a nightmare, I _definitely_ don’t want to see it otherwise."

Shiro looks over.  Keith’s smiling.

 

Keith is pissed in the morning.  “I have a fucking migraine,” he growls to Shiro, who cringes and holds his hands up in surrender.

“Hey, I _told_ you to stop drinking and you just kept going.”

Keith mutters something darkly under his breath.

Akira walks through the door with his apron full of more herbs and a bird on his finger.

“A bird?”  Shiro blinks.  “...How did you manage to get a bird on your finger like that?”

Akira smiles up from cooing to it.  “Learn enough about them and you start understanding what scares them off or not.  Kind of like Keith.”

“He still thinks he’s a princess is why,” Keith grunts.

“Morning, Keith,” Akira smiles.

Keith just glares.

Chief comes in, fishing poles in one hand and a smile on his face.  “Hey.  So we ate all the fish yesterday and I was going to go do some fishing for today’s meals.  Sven’s never seen the sights, right?  Not like this. Let’s go.”

Keith grabs his stomach and groans.  “I think I’m going to be sick.” And he goes into the bathroom and vomits.

“ _Keith_ ,” Shiro worries, following him in and gently easing him into a seat on the floor.  He brushes the hair away from Keith’s sweaty forehead. “Are you alright?”

“Ugh.  I’m _fine_.  Just stupidly hungover.  ...Go. It’s cool being out on the ocean.  Chief’s good at that stuff. I’d just make it miserable for you.”

“No,” Shiro says firmly.  “I’m staying with you.”

“I’m just going to go lay down.”

“Then me too.  We stick together, remember?”

Keith frowns up at Shiro, seeking something on his face.  Whatever he finds cuts into his eyes even harder and he relents with a sigh.  “...Okay. Let me wash up. I’ll go too.”

“We can stay, Keith.  Really.”

“No, let’s go.  Sometimes the fresh air helps.”

They walk out onto the docks, slowly, for Keith’s head.  They have a decently sized sailboat that Chief sets up for them.  Shiro has no idea what he’s doing, so he just watches, smiling faintly.  Chief is confident running around the sailboat the same way that Keith is in the ring, sword in hand.  There’s a steady grin on his mouth and that firm light in his eyes.

“Okay,” Chief hops down and gestures them inside.  “We’re ready.”

“Matt didn’t want to come again?”  Keith wonders as he steps in.

Shiro laughs, accepting Keith’s hand as he follows in after.  “Always busy. He gets seasick too.”

“...I forgot you don’t know how to swim well...”  Keith bites his lip, watching Shiro closely.

“Don’t worry,” Chief calls from the gallery.  “We’ll stay close to shore. It’s just fishing.”

“Yeah...  I guess...”  Keith mutters, taking a seat in the shade and hunching forward awkwardly.  The swaying of the boat makes him green.

“Keith, are you feeling sick?  We don’t have to -”

“-It’s fine,” Keith mutters, rubbing at his face.  “Really. I want you to have fun.”

“But not at your expense...  We can have fun somehow else.”

“Oh, come on,” Chief hops down in front of them.  “He’s fine. Let’s go. The wind’s right.”

“Yep,” Keith says.  “Let’s go.”

And so they go.

Shiro’s been on boats before, sure.  Like the time they had to travel over to the Galra empire; but the atmosphere was sharp and filled with tension then, and the boat had been enormous.  This is different. The boat is small, intimate almost. They’re in each other’s air.

The sun’s shining and Chief stands proud and tall, eyes forward into the horizon.  There’s a wild energy about him that Keith doesn’t have. Keith is more stable, more sharp.  Chief seems like, if he could, he would float away on a powerful breeze and turn to sea foam.  Shiro squints his eyes as he tries to figure out what it is about Chief that translates that. Maybe it’s the way he stares at the horizon line, eyes almost feral, grip tight with anticipation for what lies beyond.

But Keith is grounded.  It’s like he knows what he wants and where it is.  Shiro thinks about it for awhile.

“I thought you said we’re staying close to the shore,” Keith grunts.

“In comparison to where I usually go, we _are_ still close to the shore.”

“I don’t mind, Keith,” Shiro says.

“ _Chief_.”  Keith hisses.  “He can’t swim well.”

Chief slows to a stop with a sigh.  The wind is still blowing where they are, cool and salty.  Shiro stands up and leans over the edge, looking into the crystal blue with wide eyes.  “Wow, we’re so close to the water.”

“You would love it out on the sea.  Far, far away from any land, away from all the people.  There’s just silence.  Just the lull of the ocean waves against the bottom of your boat.  The breeze through the clouds. Just you and the entire world. It’s amazing.”

“Sounds amazing,” Shiro hums.  Chief’s love bleeds through in his voice.  It’s genuine. “You should join us back to the castle.  We could use passionate sailors like you.”

Keith groans, head still in his hands.  “God, that’d be the day.”

Chief grins.  “Nah, I like it out here.  Pure freedom. I don’t know how you guys do it.  Selling your soul to one person like that. I hope the pay’s worth it.”

Keith tsks.  “It’s not about that.”

“Oh, yeah, honor and all that.  Since they wouldn’t sell us out the first second it was needed.  I know how war is. I see it, out from the ocean. What you need is some distance.  Perspective.”

“They wouldn’t do that to us,” Keith grunts, looking up from his hands.  He glares at Chief. “They’re good people. You wouldn’t understand. You never get close enough to people to know.”

“Maybe so,” he hums, looking down at Keith.  He turns his eyes over to Shiro. “Sven, how about you?  What do you think of your royal family? Don’t worry, your secrets are safe out here.”

Shiro smiles with the grace he feels in his heart.  He knows his answer. “The royal family loves their people without a doubt.  They want what’s best for them, truly.”

Chief hums, discontent, turning his head to look out at the rising sun.  “Even if some were part Galra?”

“Even then,” Shiro says without missing a beat.  “Goodness is in their hearts, not their blood.”

Chief laughs at that.  “But your blood is in your heart.”

Shiro chuckles too.  “You know what I mean.  Our people are a good people.  I truly believe that. And we’ll do everything we can to make sure we’re worthy of their trust.”

Keith’s sitting back, looking at Shiro through soft eyes.  The way he’s looking at him makes it feel like just the two of them.  Keith reaches his hand out and places it gently on Shiro’s knee. “And that’s why I’d follow them anywhere,” he mutters softly.  “Through ice, through fire. Through darkness, through light. Anywhere.”

Shiro smiles back, reaching his own hand out to place over Keith’s.  “They only have that sort of strength because of the people who support them.  They’re so lucky to have such loyalty. Such care.”

“You think that?”  Keith smiles at him.

Shiro squeezes his hand.  They fall into warmth together.  The ocean lulls them back and forth in its gentle sway.  “Yeah. I really do.”

Chief clears his throat harshly.  They both blink, looking up, torn from their bubble of serenity.  They’d forgotten he was there. He’s standing right beside them, watching in amusement, arms hanging onto the bottom of the sail.  “Wow. Well, I see why Keith chose the Alteans over the Galra. Even when the pay for the Galra was better.”

“What do you mean?”  Shiro turns his curious eyes over to Keith.

Keith rolls his eyes.  “It’s nothing. Ignore him.  He’s being an ass.”

“Keith could go either side, you know.  Since he’s a halfbreed.”

“Halfbreed?”

“Yeah.  You know.  Our mom’s Galran.”

Shiro blinks in surprise.  “Galran? Really?”

“Yeah.  They would’ve accepted Keith if he’d gone to them.  He has the blood to prove it.”

“ _Chief_ ,”  Keith spits.  “You are such _an ass_.”

“What?  He just said he didn’t care as long as your _heart’s_ loyal.  Just don’t let the royal family know, I guess.  A forbidden love. Soldier and enemy. Like the best kind of novel.”

Keith hisses.  “I’m not the enemy!  God, you’re so infuriating!  Turn this boat the hell around.  I’m going _home_.”

“What?  And no dinner?”

With a growl, Keith pushes himself to his feet, grabs two of the fishing rods from beside Chief and stomps over to the other side of the boat and sits there, as far away from his brother as possible.

Chief gives a shake of his head to Shiro, a little glint in his eye.  Shiro feels like if he were to stay there, he would be able to hear what Chief has to say, but that’s not what’s important right now.  He gets to his feet and follows after Keith. He places his hand on Keith’s shoulder as he sits beside him.

“I’m not worried, Keith,” he says lowly.  “It’s not a problem. I know you. My father knows you.  Galran or not, you’re _Keith_.”

“I know.  I know you don’t care.  But I do.  It was one of the first things I told your father and he said the same.  I’m just...headache. Asshole brother. He spends so much time out on the ocean he doesn’t know how to interact with others anymore.”

Shiro chuckles lowly, thinking of the way Keith never really knows how to socialize with the other knights either.  Maybe it runs in the family. But he keeps it to himself. “It was a weird thing to say. Poking at your buttons.”

“Isn’t that what siblings are for?”  Keith rolls his eyes. “I told you they were horrible and you didn’t believe me.  Even Akira...”

Shiro laughs again, kicking his legs out as he looks beyond their fishing lines bobbing in the ocean.  Everything feels so big out here. They seem so small in this scope of things.

Keith’s quiet for awhile.  When he speaks again, he doesn’t look at Shiro.  He looks away, that divot in his brow, the twist of his mouth he only does when he’s nervous.  “Hey, Shiro - I -” But he stops. Looks away.

“What is it?”  Shiro asks.

After a moment, he shakes his head.  “God. ...It’s nothing.” Keith takes in a deep steadying breath and then turns, divot gone.  He reaches a hand out and pats Shiro on the knee comfortingly. “Enjoying your first fishing trip?”

Shiro nods, grinning.  “It’s beautiful out here.  Quiet. ...Everything kind of smells...interesting though.”

“Yeah, it does,” Keith laughs.

“Oh, good, I thought I was the only one noticing it.  I didn’t want to be rude.”

“Well, there are fish _everywhere_.  Why wouldn’t it smell like them?”

Shiro shrugs.  “I don’t know.”

Chief pokes his head around.  “One’s got my line. Keith, can you get it?  I’m afraid I’m going to lose it. It feels like a fighter.”

“ _You_ can’t do it?  The _pirate_ boy?”

“Come _on_.  I’m injured here.  I’m going to lose it and then we’ll have to keep waiting out here.”

“God,” Keith grunts, putting his hand on Shiro’s shoulder as he pulls himself to his feet. “Unbelievable.  I’ll be right back.”

Keith disappears around the sail and Chief pops back around it, taking a seat beside Shiro casually.

“You know,” he starts to say, facing in Keith’s direction.  Shiro turns around so he can watch Keith too. Keith is obviously not a rookie, like Shiro would’ve looked if he had to fight something this big.  He’s done this before. His eyes are sharp as he concentrates on the water in front of him. Shiro almost forgets to listen to Chief.  “Keith seems to really like you.”

“Hm?  Oh, yeah.  He’s great.”

“And you seem to really like him.”

“Of course.  He’s my best friend.”

“...Hm.  But you’re not together?”

Shiro finally turns his attention over to Chief.  He lets out a small laugh. “No. Why does everyone keep asking that?”

Chief rolls his eyes.  “I wish you could see the way you both look at each other.  ...I can help you, you know. If there’s one thing I know about Keith, it’s that he clings too much to things he loves.  He doesn’t want to ruin a good thing, so he’ll never take a chance. He’s always been that way. He needs a little...push.”

“What?”  Shiro furrows his brows.  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Ugh, finally,” Keith grunts, peering over the edge of the boat into the water.  “Chief, can you -”

Chief waits until Keith’s looking, crooked devious smile on his face.  And right as Keith turns, Chief leans over, grabbing Shiro by the front of his shirt, and pulling him in forcefully for a kiss.

It is, perhaps, the absolute last thing that Shiro ever expected to happen.  He has no defenses up. He’s just sitting on a boat, enjoying the breeze, enjoying the view.  And suddenly, Keith’s triplet is kissing him.

It’s not like Akira’s kiss.  That was chaste.  Soft and sweet.  A test, almost. This is open-mouthed and _fierce_ , just like Keith’s spirit, just like the other side of Shiro’s dreams, the side Shiro would take with him to the grave.  The private part of his hopes and dreams.

He looks like Keith and he feels like Keith, but -

He already knows what Keith’s face must look like as he watches them from the other end of the boat.  Shiro remembers Keith’s face yesterday, with Akira, and suddenly, he understands.

Shiro pushes him off with one sharp thrust.  “ _What are you doing_?”  Shiro slaps a hand over his mouth, trying to get to his feet.  He means to stand and make his way over to Keith, but he forgets the fishing poles are still set up behind him and he trips backward on them.

He feels himself falling.  He’s Shiro, trained by Keith, reflexes of a god.  But he’s still in shock from feeling Chief’s mouth against his.  The horror of his first kiss being taken by someone other than Keith is too much.

He hits the back of the boat’s edge and sees, at the last second, Keith’s horrified wide eyes as Shiro goes overboard.

Oh, right.  He can’t swim.

Shiro’s been here before, when he was still just a young teenager by the rivers.  He liked to sneak out from beneath Coran’s nose and play with the other knights in training, pretend he was just a regular boy, Sven.  The others believed it too. He thought it’d make him stronger to be treated just like a normal boy. But one day, starting off just like any other day, he was pushed into the very river they were warned to never go into.  The undertow would kill them for sure, that’s what their trainers had said. And Shiro had gone headfirst into it.

He thought he would die.

The knights in training were young and hesitant.  They were explicitly told not to go in there. What would dying together do?  Why lose two when you could only lose one? He was just a commoner, after all.

Only one of the knights in training jumped in, out of the entire lot.  Only one didn’t take a moment to hesitate. He tossed his sword away and dived right in, latching onto Shiro with a strength he didn’t look like he should have.  The little warrior dragged Shiro up by the collar, pulling him up to shore, into safety without a second thought.

And he does it again.  Now, as Shiro falls. Shiro’s only just broken the surface, tossed into the crystal blue that swallows him whole - it’s almost more beautiful than shocking -  and then he feels Keith beside him, his hands on him, securing him tightly, dragging him up.

How is he so fast whenever Shiro’s involved?  How is he so gentle yet quick?

Shiro gasps as he breaks the surface.  Keith’s eyes are wide with panic as he tosses his wet hair from his face viciously, checking Shiro for injury.

“ _Are you okay_?”  He wheezes.

“I’m fine, Keith,” Shiro chuckles a little, bringing a hand up to wipe away the saltwater from his face.  “It’s just water. I _did_ have some lessons.  I can tread water. You can let go.”

Keith doesn’t.  There’s a fire burning brightly in his eyes that he tosses up to Chief, who’s grimacing up from the side of the boat, hand extended.  “...Keith, I’m sor-”

“- _Save it_.”  He hisses, looking back down to Shiro.  Keith swallows hard, looking overwhelmed and vulnerable suddenly.  He tries to blink it away. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m _fine_.  Perfectly.  The water feels nice.   _Relax_.”

“I can’t believe this,” Keith is spitting angrily.  “Get on the other side of the boat,” he shouts at Chief, who does so, and then he guides Shiro over to this side, helping him back on.

Shiro laughs wearily as he pulls himself up.  “I’ve got it. I’m fine.”

“You could’ve _drowned_.”

“No, I wouldn’t have.  It’s not like last time.  The ocean’s completely still.”

Keith just groans, overwhelmed still, as he takes Shiro’s outstretched hand and lets himself be helped up.

“I’m so sorry, Shiro,” Keith breathes, pushing his hair back from his face with both of his hands.  He shakes his head breathlessly. “I’m so sorry. I told you I’d look after you and I let you fall.”

“Keith, I’m okay.”

“And _you_ !”  Keith rounds on Chief, who grimaces.  He stomps across the boat - turning so he can still see Shiro from his peripheral, of course - and gets right up into Chief’s face.  “What the _hell_ were you thinking?  What’s your game? You think it’s funny to just go kissing _my friends_?  He could’ve died!”

His eyebrows are high as he tilts his head back and away from Keith.  “I’m sorry, okay?  I didn’t realize you’d both have such a magnificent reaction.   _Jesus_.”

“You can’t just _kiss_ someone without asking!  You can’t just do that! And especially not to him!”

“Why not?”  Chief grins cheekily.

“Well, I...!  ...I....”  Keith takes a step back, eyes wide.  And then he pushes at Chief hard, trying to toss him over the boat.  Chief pinwheels but catches himself just in time. But Keith’s not done.  He shifts, going in for the kill.

This is going to be a full-out brawl.  Shiro's seen it before, many times with Keith, and it won't end pretty.

“Keith!”  Shiro says, jumping in between them.  “Keith, it’s fine. Let’s just go home, alright?  You’re probably still feeling sick, aren’t you? You need some rest.  Some water.”

“Well, there’s _plenty_ of it all around us,” Keith spits out with fire.  “And _on_ us since _someone_ couldn’t control themselves.”  Despite his tone, he lets himself be pulled away by Shiro.

“Well, you both have been making googly eyes at each other since you first _got here_.  Akira and I had to do _something_!”

“Googly eyes?!  We were _not_.”

“You so were!  Just admit it already.  You like each other! It’s so painful to watch!  This is a gift we’re trying to give you, Keith. Stop being so _stubborn_.”

“A gift is kissing my best friend you _know_ I have a crush on?!  I -”  He stops.  Freezes.  Realizes what he just said.  His face grows as red as a tomato.

“I - I didn’t mean that!”  He whirls around and protests to Shiro, eyes wide and frazzled.  He has his hands up, trying to salvage this somehow. “I didn’t _mean that._   I was just...  What he was saying -”  His chest is heaving as he tries to gasp for air.  “It’s not - it’s not _like that_.”

Shiro presses his lips together tightly as he watches Keith squirm.  He can see Chief standing behind Keith, the sun catching him, all the different vibrant colored clothes he wears making him look like a rainbow.  He’s beautiful.

But he’s not as beautiful as the Keith in front of him.  No one can be. Shiro knows he could travel the entire world, each separate alternate universe, and still, his heart would only be with Keith.  Even if Shiro were blind, deaf, and dumb.  This Keith is the only one for him.

And isn’t it about time Keith be let in on that secret too?

Shiro licks his lips nervously.  “Well...he...he might not be lying,” Shiro mumbles.

Keith blinks up at him, tilting his head in confusion, aghast.  “ _What_?”

Shiro clears his throat and tries to bring himself up, standing as tall as he can.  Looking a bit more noble, maybe. At least he hopes. He wants to be as worthy for Keith as he can.

He repositions the collar around his neck...and goes for it.  “Uh... Keith... I...I probably should’ve told you this forever ago, but I’ve just been so nervous about it.  We’ve been friends since forever and I don’t even deserve that much, how could I possibly ask for more?  But...  Oh, god. I’m just going to say it. _I’m in love with you_.  Totally head over heels completely in love with you.  Everything about you is so _good_.  From the way you kick my butt during training, to the way you stand quietly behind me in the royal chamber, watching over me.  You’re this constant warm presence I know won’t ever let me down. I think I’ve been in love with you since the second you dragged my dumb butt out of the river.  ...And I’ve only fallen for you more and more every day after that. You’re amazing, Keith. You mean everything to me. Why do you think I’ve kept you by my side ever since?”

“I...”  Keith breaths out, dazed and unsteady.  “I have two brothers. They’re identical to me.  They don’t have as much of a temper.”

Shiro smiles crookedly.  “You’re all beautiful, all wonderful in your unique ways.  But you’re _Keith_.  My Keith.  A little part of my heart...”  He clears his throat and brings himself up.  “And if the Galra really do pay better, I mean...  I’ll pay you triple their price.  I’ll pay you quadruple.  Quintuple.  As much as you want, whatever you want.  Name it and it’s yours.  I don’t want to lose you.”

Keith stares at him, brow furrowed.  “...Shiro, what? You know I’d never leave you.  I... Even if I had to pay _you_ to stay by your side...  You’re the best person I’ve ever known.”

Shiro can hear the air leave his lungs.  “...Really?”

A smile finally breaks through on Keith’s face as he laughs, ducking his head.  He looks up at Shiro from beneath is eyelashes. “What do you mean ‘really’?  I completely ignored those sirens at the beach that one time, didn’t I?  Everyone thought I had a hearing problem. I let them believe it.”

“What...what does that mean?”

“I don’t care about women, Shiro.  I don’t care about anyone but you. ...I love you too.  I’ve loved you...for a really long time.”

Shiro lets out a shaky breathy laugh.  “...Yeah....?”

“And even if that means we just stay together like this, I’m more than happy.  I want to be forever by your side.”

Shiro breathes in relief.  “...I had no idea.”

“Me neither,” Keith murmurs softly, taking a step forward and holding his hand out.

Shiro knows how he’s been nervous-sweating, his hand probably tacky and uncomfortable.  It’s not prince-like at all.  But Keith knows all about Shiro’s little quirks, the realities of him, just like Shiro knows all of Keith’s.

Shiro steps forward, one hand going to grab Keith’s, and the other shaking as he gently touches his fingers to Keith’s face.  “You mean it? This isn’t some practical joke or something? You’re not switching out with another triplet?”

Keith laughs softly.  “What the hell are you saying?”  The corner of his eyes crinkle and the sail flutters in the wind, unveiling the sun and letting it pour over Keith’s face.  He glimmers in the warm light and Shiro can see everything there in his face - reflecting the morning sun like he’s captured all the rainbows in the world and is flowing with them.

God.

He’s so beautiful.

Shiro leans forward hesitantly, swallowing hard.  “Hey, Keith...can I... Can I kiss you?”

Keith’s answering smile is so sweet.  It’s not as wild as Chief’s, or as gentle as Akira’s.  It’s something that’s just his, just Keith’s.  Shiro’s Keith.  They’re all good people, Shiro knows that. There’s a warmth about them when they’re all together.  Three peas in a pod.

But this Keith, this is the one from his heart.  The one he’s grown up with. The one he admires every day and the one he dreams of every night.

And this Keith, this one, Shiro bends down to kiss of his own accord, pressing their lips together gently.  He takes his time - this is the kiss he’s dreamt of for so long now, from before even puberty. And now, years of unforgiving pining later, it’s finally here.

Keith’s lips are chapped.  His hair is a mess, hardening strangely in the ocean’s water.  He smells a bit like fish and he tastes like salt. He’s shaking.

He’s perfect.  Shiro could kiss him forever like this.

He’s perfect.

 

* * *

 

 

Chief is happy with himself the rest of the ride back.  He’s wearing a smug smile as he stands tall, wind blowing through his clothes, mask tilting over his head precariously.

Keith doesn’t even grumble about it.  He sits right beside Shiro, hands intertwined together tightly.  Keith leans his head on Shiro’s shoulder and hums happily, eyes closed as he basks in the comfort of them being together.

He’s done it before.  They’ve trained together, body-against-body, it’s never been _that_ awkward (as long as Shiro pretended he _didn’t_ have that dream about Keith the night before), but it’s different now, weighted down with meaning.  Shiro loves the feel of it.  He’s still dazzled by the thought that Keith likes him back. He imagines it’ll take him awhile to get used to the idea, but he’s willing to do the work.

They’re both in heaven.

When they arrive back at the docks, Keith hops out and holds his hand out to help Shiro.

“What a gentleman,” Shiro hums, taking his hand and pulling himself up.

They turn to see Matt running down, looking frazzled.  “ _F_ _inally_.  Get your butts back.   _Now_.”

“What?  Why?” Shiro asks, but Matt just shakes his head and rushes back.

Shiro doesn’t see why, but Keith can.  It’s in the distance, at the stables, where there are many more carriages than just one.  He cringes inside.

When they open the door, sitting in their small living room, is none other than King Alfor himself.

It’s almost comical, all his shining gold armor in the middle of a hut as modest as theirs.  Krolia and Akira look a little shell shocked.  Matt just looks peeved, arms crossed over his chest.

As the door opens, King Alfor looks to Shiro sternly, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you doing all the way here?”  Shiro blanches.

King Alfor doesn’t respond, but he looks down, taking in Keith and Shiro’s hands still intertwined.  He blinks. “...Have you...eloped...?”

“ _Eloped_ ?”  Shiro chokes, holding Keith’s hand tighter.  “Did _everyone_ know besides us?”

“Oh, you finally told each other,” Matt breathes in relief.

Akira’s face brightens as he looks to Chief.  “You did it!”

Chief shrugs, looking pleased with himself.  "No big deal."

But Krolia is stiff, hands tightly in her lap, back ramrod straight.  “Um...Your Majesty. Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but what is it you want with my son?  Has he done something wrong?”

King Alfor looks to her in surprise.  “Keith?  Not at all.  He couldn’t be a better match for my son.  There’s no one I trust more with him.”

“Your son...?  Right. He’s back at the castle?”

King Alfor stares in confusion for a moment and then turns a weary expression back to Shiro and Keith, exasperated frown on his face.  “What have you two done this time...?”

Shiro laughs nervously.  “You see -”

“-It’s my fault, Your Majesty,” Keith says, trying to take a bow.  “Forgive me, I -”

Shiro holds out his hand over Keith’s mouth.  “- _No_ , Keith didn’t want me to come along at first.  It was me. I forced him. He told me no. Matt too.  It’s not their fault.”

“But I let him,” Keith says, pulling Shiro’s hand down.  “I could’ve turned us back. If you blame anyone, blame me -”

“Keith, that’s not true.  I _forced you_ , remember?”

“I basically kidnapped you.  I should’ve left earlier. I knew what I was doing by procrastinating.”

“Kidnapped?  What are you talking about?”

“I’m your _knight_.  I’m supposed to _protect you,_ not steal you away.”

“But we’re partners, okay?  You and me.  We protect each other.”  He pulls back and cups his hand under Keith’s cheek.  “Okay?”

Keith finally loosens, sighing into Shiro’s hand.  “Okay...”

Everyone watches them with a sickened groan on their faces.

King Alfor holds up his hand and sighs.  “Boys, please, no one’s in trouble.”

“I’m sorry,” Krolia murmurs, looking between them with a divot in her brow.  “I’m confused. What’s going on?”

The king is so used to this.  So tired.  He holds up a weary hand to Shiro and Keith.  “My son and his knight seem to have found themselves in trouble together.   _Again_.”

“Your...son...?”

It’s Chief who responds, eyes slowly widening with realization as he mutters slowly, “Shiro.” He presses his hand to his mouth as he thinks.  “Back on the boat, you were calling him...Shiro...” He looks to Akira, their eyes wide as saucers. “...Like...like the prince?!”

Shiro laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his head.  “ _Yeah_ , the circlet thing...  I might’ve lied about that.”

Keith bites his lip and shifts to his other leg.  “And I...might’ve said his name was...Sven.”

King Alfor shakes his head, sighing all the way.  “ _Again?_ ”

Chief’s eyes widen as he goes over the day’s events.  The flirting. The kiss. Nearly drowning him. It was bad enough when it was an Altean knight, but...but the _prince_?!

“Oh, god,” Akira breathes.

Keith turns around to smile smugly at Chief as his jaw drops open.

“ _Sven i_ _s the Altean prince? Oh, shi-”_

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to just end it at the kiss, but where's the fun in that? ;) 
> 
> I had the theme song to Kung Pow Enter the Fist stuck in my head the whole time I wrote this. What does it meeeeaan...?
> 
> Chat with me [on Twitter? ](https://twitter.com/go__begreat)໒( ͡ᵔ ▾ ͡ᵔ )७


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